The film starred Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northup, an African-American musician born a free man in pre-Civil War upstate New York who is captured and sold into slavery, where he remains for 12 years. Aside from Ejiofor's performance, the film skyrocketed supporting actress Lupita Nyong'o, who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, into the spotlight for her turn as Patsey, the favored slave of the film's most sadistic slave owner (played by Michael Fassbender). Also featured in the film were Benedict Cumberbatch, Brad Pitt (who also produced the film through his Plan B production company), Sarah Poulson, Paul Giamatti and Paul Dano, among others.